Americans United - Use of Religious Buildings by Schoolshttps://au.org/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools
Ceremonies like graduation and other school events should be held in secular venues. Public school students should not be expected to mark important rites of passage in houses of worship where they may be exposed to unwanted proselytizing or sectarian symbols. For this reason, Americans United opposes the use of churches and other houses of worship for public school graduation and other ceremonies.
enGood Outcomehttps://au.org/church-state/september-2014-church-state/featured/good-outcome
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>When it comes to church-state separation, the news from the U.S. Supreme Court this year can hardly be called good.</p><p>On May 5, the high court gave its blessing to official prayers before meetings of municipal government – even if they’re mostly Christian. At the end of June, the justices ruled that certain closely held corporations can deny employees access to birth control in health-care plans if such coverage offends the owners’ religious beliefs.</p><p>But amid this gloom there was one bright spot: On June 16th, the Supreme Court refused to hear <em>Elmbrook School District v. Does</em>, a legal challenge brought by Americans United contesting a Wisconsin public school district’s decision to hold graduations in Elmbrook Church, a local evangelical mega-church.</p><p>By rejecting the case, the high court upheld a lower court ruling against the district and ended a years-long legal battle over the constitutionality of the school’s practice.</p><p>But the high court’s decision has its detractors, and the case’s implications for religious liberty still reverberate on both sides of the political divide. That’s likely due to existing church-state controversies: The <em>Elmbrook </em>ruling came on the heels of the court’s controversial verdict in <em>Greece v. Galloway</em>, the city council prayer case.</p><p>That case sparked a national debate over religious liberty’s true definition and application – a debate that reached fever pitch after the court’s ruling in <em>Burwell v.</em> <em>Hobby Lobby Stores</em>, the birth control case.</p><p>While it didn’t garner as much media attention as those rulings, the court’s decision not to hear <em>Elmbrook </em>did showcase the stark divide on the high court when it comes to church-state separation.</p><p>Justices Antonin Scalia and Clar­ence Thomas, who both ruled for Hobby Lobby and the town of Greece, objected to the majority’s decision not to hear the case. It was evident from their dissent (written by Scalia and joined by Thomas) that they viewed the graduation controversy as an extension of the cultural conflict over the exact role religion may constitutionally play in the public square.</p><p>“Some there are – many, perhaps – who are offended by public displays of religion. Religion, they believe, is a personal matter; if it must be given external manifestation, that should not occur where others may be offended,” Scalia wrote. “I can understand that attitude: It parallels my own toward the playing in public of rock music or Stravinsky.”</p><p>But Scalia quickly made it clear that those who are offended by government-backed religion should be out of luck. He cited the court’s ruling in the <em>Greece</em> case to support his position that holding public school graduations in churches doesn’t violate the First Amendment.</p><p>If town councils can sponsor Christian prayers at the risk of offending non-Christian residents, he argued, then surely Elmbrook’s practice passed con­stitutional muster. Offense, he wrote, was not evidence that anyone had been coerced into religious activities.</p><p>“It is perhaps the job of school officials to prevent hurt feelings at school events,” he wrote, “But that is decidedly not the job of the Constitution.”</p><p>But is <em>Elmbrook </em>really about hurt feelings, or is something bigger at stake?</p><p>Americans United has argued that it’s the latter. According to the group, which commenced the lawsuit on behalf of anonymous plaintiffs in 2009, the facts of the case aren’t comparable to unwelcome public performances of rock music or Stravinsky. Instead, it’s about a flagrant violation of the First Amendment.</p><p>Documents provided by AU’s legal team reveal that the church’s sanctuary, which is where graduations were held, displayed a large Christian cross above the stage where students received their diplomas. In addition, the area contained Bibles, hymnals, “scribble card[s] for God’s Little Lambs” and promotional cards asking students and their families whether they would like to know “how to become a Christian.”</p><p>Students who objected to the religious display had one option: opt out of their own graduation.</p><p>Americans United says that’s why the organization filed suit against the school district on behalf of nine anonymous students, graduates and parents. After some initial legal setbacks, the entire 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Americans United’s favor. Although the school district had at least temporarily moved its graduations to a school facility by then, it petitioned the Supreme Court to review the ruling anyway.</p><p>The dissent by Scalia and Thomas makes it clear how they would have ruled. But it can be argued that by rejecting the case, the court reaffirmed that there are still important safeguards when it comes to the role of religion in public education. Proponents of church-state separation say that this fits squarely within legal precedent. The high court has, after all, ruled repeatedly that public schools are meant to be religiously neutral.</p><p>To some members of the Religious Right, however, the court’s decision to deny the case a hearing struck a blow to religious liberty. In an op-ed published on “Western Journalism,” which bills itself as “a blogging platform built for conservative, libertarian, free market and pro-family writers and broadcasters,” Dr. John Sparks wrote, “Concluding that holding a high school graduation ceremony in a local church because of inadequate school facilities violates the First Amendment trivializes the intent of that anti-establishment language.”</p><p>He added, “Secondly, it raises ‘offensiveness’ to the level of a constitutional right. Third, it moves closer and closer to the view that the First Amendment establishment clause requires ‘religion’ and ‘government’ to exist in separate, hermetically sealed containers precisely at a time when America’s public institutions are in desperate need of the moral grounding religious foundations provide.” (Sparks is a fellow at the Center for Vision and Values at Grove City College, an evangelical institution in Pennsylvania.)</p><p>The Claremont Institute, a right-wing legal outfit, echoed that sentiment, claiming on its website that by rejecting the case, the court had “seriously misinterpreted” the First Amendment.</p><p>David Cortman, an attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, was also not pleased. He said in a statement, “Church buildings should not be treated like toxic warehouses simply because they normally house religious activities.”</p><p>But to Americans United, the case’s rejection is a victory for religious liberty.</p><p>“Because the Supreme Court won’t hear the case, the appellate court’s ruling banning public school graduations in sectarian venues will stand,” explained Alex J. Luchenitser, the group’s associate legal director. “That’s the outcome we’d hoped to see.”</p><p>Luchenitser disputed the ADF’s assertion that the ruling treats churches like “toxic warehouses.”</p><p>“This case isn’t about trying to force religion out of the public eye,” he said. “This is just about enforcing the Constitution. Public schools are supposed to be religiously neutral. The courts have found that students are a vulnerable group, which means that the law treats schools a bit differently.”</p><p>Because religious symbols and evangelistic materials were displayed at an official school event, the Elmbrook district had violated the First Amendment, Luchenitser added.</p><p>“Students are in school to learn, not to be proselytized to. That standard shouldn’t be lifted for school events, especially graduations,” the AU attorney observed.</p><p>As a result of this case, at least in the states covered by the 7th Circuit, public school students will be guaranteed the right to have their graduations in a secular setting.</p><p>Luchenitser said that’s exactly how things should be.</p><p>“No student should have to choose between attending their own graduation or subjecting themselves to a religious environment,” he said. “This case has always been about trying to avoid coercion, not offense.” </p></div></div><a href="/about/people/ms-sarah-jones">Sarah Jones</a><h3 >Supreme Court Hands Americans United Major Victory In Wisconsin Graduation-In-Church&nbsp;Case</h3><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Featured</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools">Use of Religious Buildings by Schools</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10435" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/september-2014-church-state">
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/elmbrook-school-district">Elmbrook School District</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-supreme-court">The U.S. Supreme Court</a></span></div></div>Tue, 02 Sep 2014 17:00:00 +0000Timothy Ritz10438 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/september-2014-church-state/featured/good-outcome#commentsCourt Declines Wisc. Graduation-In-Church Casehttps://au.org/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/court-declines-wisc-graduation-in-church-case
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>The U.S. Supreme Court last month announced that it will not hear an appeal of a lower court’s ruling striking down a Wisconsin school district’s use of an evangelical mega-church to hold commencement ceremonies.</p><p>Americans United, which brought the legal challenge on behalf of anonymous plaintiffs, hailed the court’s action.</p><p>“This case should serve as a warning to public schools that it’s not appropriate to hold important ceremonies like graduation in a religious setting,” said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United.</p><p>The Elmbrook School District had sought review of a July 2012 decision in which a 10-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 7-3 in favor of Americans United. AU filed the suit in 2009 on behalf of nine students, parents and graduates of the school district.</p><p>At the graduations, students received diplomas underneath an immense Christian cross. Parents and children sat in pews filled with Bibles, hymnals, and church promotional cards that asked them whether they “would like to know how to become a Christian.” The church’s lobby was filled with evangelical pamphlets and postings. (<em>Doe v. Elmbrook School District</em>)</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AU Bulletin</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools">Use of Religious Buildings by Schools</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-10202" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">July/August</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2014</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/religious-right-leaders-call-for-impeaching">Religious Right Leaders Call For Impeaching Judge After Pa. Marriage Ruling</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/parents-claim-religious-indoctrination-is">Parents Claim Religious Indoctrination Is Rife At Conn. Public School</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/civil-liberties-groups-alarmed-by-content-of">Civil Liberties Groups Alarmed By Content Of Okla. Bible Course </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/iowa-student-completes-history-day-project">Iowa Student Completes History Day Project On Key School Prayer Case</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/atheist-group-s-challenge-to-church-tax">Atheist Group’s Challenge To Church Tax Exemption Is Tossed By Court</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/anti-drug-program-in-calif-public-schools">Anti-Drug Program In Calif. Public Schools Linked To Scientology </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/supreme-court-should-rule-for-prisoner-in">Supreme Court Should Rule For Prisoner In Beard Case, Americans United Says</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/creationist-ark-park-in-ky-sailing-into">Creationist ‘Ark Park’ In Ky. Sailing Into Rough Waters Over Funding </a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-9 views-row-odd views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/people-events/frc-staffer-slapped-with-reprimand-for-book">FRC Staffer Slapped With Reprimand For Book Disclosures</a></span> </div></li>
</ul></div><div class="cs-department" id="section-au-bulletin"> <h3>AU Bulletin</h3>
<ul class="cs-department-list"> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/court-declines-wisc-graduation-in-church-case">Court Declines Wisc. Graduation-In-Church Case</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/senate-debates-prayer-on-wwii-memorial">Senate Debates Prayer On WWII Memorial</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/au-urges-an-end-to-religious-employment">AU Urges An End To Religious Employment Discrimination</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/ny-atheists-lose-lawsuit-over-god-motto-on">N.Y. Atheists Lose Lawsuit Over God Motto On Currency</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/ala-school-voucher-law-found-unconstitutional">Ala. School Voucher Law Found Unconstitutional</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/americans-united-objects-to-dc-jewish-divorce">Americans United Objects To D.C. Jewish Divorce Bill</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/okla-cop-loses-fight-to-avoid-appearance-at">Okla. Cop Loses Fight To Avoid Appearance At Mosque</a></span> </div></li>
<li class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even views-row-last">
<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/around-the-world-sudanese-court-sentences">Around The World: Sudanese Court Sentences Woman To Death For Apostasy</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/elmbrook-school-district">Elmbrook School District</a></span></div></div>Tue, 01 Jul 2014 15:25:57 +0000Timothy Ritz10211 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/julyaugust-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/court-declines-wisc-graduation-in-church-case#commentsDisturbing Dissent: Scalia And Thomas Use AU Graduation-In-Church Case To Blast Separation Yet Again https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/disturbing-dissent-scalia-and-thomas-use-au-graduation-in-church-case-to
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The reality is that church-state separation cannot exist in the real world without at least some assistance from the courts. The religion clauses of the First Amendment are a mere 16 words long. It’s up to judges to interpret those words. That’s what makes this noble principle so fragile.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>It is becoming increasingly clear that the right wing of the U.S. Supreme Court is openly hostile toward the constitutional principle of church-state separation.</p><p>In May, the high court <a href="https://au.org/church-state/june-2014-church-state/featured/greeces-slippery-slope">narrowly ruled</a> in <em>Town of</em> <em>Greece v. Galloway</em>, a case sponsored and litigated by Americans United, that the governing board of Greece, N.Y., may invite Christian ministers to make invocations in the name of God or Jesus Christ at its monthly board meetings – all with the approval of elected officials.</p><p>That appalling opinion was authored by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and supported by Chief Justice John G. Roberts along with Justices Samuel A. Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.</p><p>Seemingly unsatisfied with the damage caused by <em>Greece</em>, Scalia and Thomas apparently felt the need to explain once again why they think coercive religious activities on the part of government are not actually the same as an establishment of religion.</p><p>Yesterday, the Supreme Court once again considered an AU-sponsored case – <em>Doe v. Elmbrook School District</em>. The school district had sought review of a July 2012 decision in which a 10-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a Wisconsin school district’s use of an evangelical megachurch to hold commencement ceremonies.</p><p>Fortunately most of the high court <a href="https://au.org/media/press-releases/supreme-court-right-to-skip-wisc-graduation-in-church-case-says-americans">had no interest in hearing the case</a>, which meant a victory for AU. But not Scalia and Thomas, who wanted to take the case or order the appeals court to reconsider its decision.</p><p><a href="https://au.org/files/pdf_documents/2014-06-16-Elmbrook_DenialCert-Dissent.pdf">In a seven-page dissent</a>, Scalia asserted that the <em>Elmbrook</em> case is not fundamentally different from <em>Greece</em>. Citing Kennedy’s opinion, Scalia contended that holding a public school graduation in a church is not equivalent to government endorsement of religion.</p><p>In a truly callous moment, Scalia also wrote that the sensitivities of a handful of people are not the concern of the U.S. Constitution.</p><p>“<em>Town of Greece </em>made categorically clear that mere ‘[o]ffense . . . does not equate to coercion’ in any manner…,” he said. “It is perhaps the job of school officials to prevent hurt feelings at school events. But that is decidedly not the job of the Constitution.” </p><p>What Scalia and Thomas failed to grasp is that the plaintiffs in <em>Elmbrook</em> were not just some bunch of overly sensitive Richard Dawkins disciples. In fact, all students and parents who attended graduations at Elmbrook Church were subjected to a barrage of fundamentalist Christian propaganda. Students received their diplomas underneath an immense Christian cross. Parents and children sat in pews filled with Bibles and hymnals, “Scribble Cards for God’s Little Lambs” and church promotional cards that asked them whether they “would like to know how to become a Christian.” The church’s lobby was filled with evangelical pamphlets and postings, many of which were aimed at children and teens.</p><p>That hardly sounds like the passive presence of materials simply left over from church services.</p><p>Like Kennedy in <em>Greece</em>, Scalia also focused on “tradition” as a justification for government-sponsored religious activity. In his <em>Elmbrook</em> dissent, Scalia argued that early public schools used church buildings for school functions.</p><p>“As demonstrated by [<em>State ex rel. Conway </em>v. <em>District Board of Joint School Dist.</em>], the Wisconsin case mentioned above, public schools have long held graduations in churches,” Scalia said. “This should come as no surprise, given that ‘[e]arly public schools were often held in rented rooms, church halls and basements, or other buildings that re­sembled Protestant churches.’”</p><p>In fact, there is no evidence of any consistent historical practice of public schools using churches for graduations. And in any event, just like Kennedy in <em>Greece</em>, Scalia seems to think that the America of today is the same as it was in the 19th and even early 20th centuries. The <em>Conway</em> case did indeed hold that having a public school graduation in a Wisconsin church is not government endorsement of religion.</p><p>(The case also upheld the giving of prayers at public school graduations, a practice the Supreme Court struck down in its 1992 decision <em>Lee v. Weisman.)</em></p><p>That case was decided in 1916, a time when women could not yet vote, African Americans were subjected to Jim Crow laws and a Jewish man, <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/frank.html">Leo Frank</a>, had recently been lynched by a Georgia mob after being falsely accused of rape.</p><p>Does Scalia honestly think nothing has changed in 100 years? And would he advocate for a return to slavery, simply because it was an American “tradition” for more than 200 years?</p><p>The reality is that church-state separation cannot exist in the real world without at least some assistance from the courts. The religion clauses of the First Amendment are a mere 16 words long. It’s up to judges to interpret those words. That’s what makes this noble principle so fragile.</p><p>If it were up to Scalia and Thomas there would be almost no separation at all. It’s pretty frightening knowing that two judges who think that way sit on the most powerful court in the land.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools">Use of Religious Buildings by Schools</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-supreme-court-0">U.S. Supreme Court</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/greece-v-galloway-doe-v-elmbrook">Greece v. Galloway. Doe v. Elmbrook</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/antonin-scalia">Antonin Scalia</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/clarence-thomas">Clarence Thomas</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/conway-v-district-board-of-joint-school-dist">Conway v. District Board of Joint School Dist.</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/elmbrook-school-district">Elmbrook School District</a></span></div></div>Tue, 17 Jun 2014 18:34:41 +0000Simon Brown10161 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/disturbing-dissent-scalia-and-thomas-use-au-graduation-in-church-case-to#commentsSupreme Court Right To Skip Wisc. Graduation-In-Church Case, Says Americans Unitedhttps://au.org/media/press-releases/supreme-court-right-to-skip-wisc-graduation-in-church-case-says-americans
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1">Americans United for Separation of Church and State today hailed the U.S. Supreme Court’s announcement that it will not hear an appeal of a lower court’s ruling striking down a Wisconsin school district’s use of an evangelical megachurch to hold commencement ceremonies.</p><p class="p1">“There was no need for the U.S. Supreme Court to take this case,” said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “The matter was resolved correctly by the court of appeals. This case should serve as a warning to public schools that it’s not appropriate to hold important ceremonies like graduation in a religious setting.”</p><p class="p1">The Elmbrook School District had sought review of a July 2012 decision in <i>Doe v. Elmbrook School District</i>, in which a 10-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 7-3 in favor of Americans United. AU filed the suit in 2009 on behalf of nine students, parents and graduates of the Wisconsin school district.</p><p class="p1">At the graduations, students received their diplomas underneath an immense Christian cross. Parents and children sat in pews filled with Bibles and hymnals, “Scribble Cards for God’s Little Lambs” and church promotional cards that asked them whether they “would like to know how to become a Christian.” The church’s lobby was filled with evangelical pamphlets and postings, many of which were aimed at children and teens.</p><p class="p1">“No student should ever be forced to choose between missing their own graduation and attending that seminal event in a proselytizing environment inundated with religious icons and exhortations,” said Alex J. Luchenitser, Americans United’s associate legal director, who argued the case. “We are very pleased that the decision of the appeals court will stand.”</p><p class="p1">Luchenitser has litigated the case in consultation with AU legal director Ayesha N. Khan and co-counsel James H. Hall Jr. and F. Thomas Olson of the Milwaukee civil rights firm Hall Burce &amp; Olson.</p><p class="p2">Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas <a href="/files/pdf_documents/2014-06-16-Elmbrook_DenialCert-Dissent.pdf">issued a dissent,</a> saying the high court should have taken the case or sent it back to the lower court.</p><p class="p1"> </p><p class="p1"> </p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools">Use of Religious Buildings by Schools</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/elmbrook-school-district">Elmbrook School District</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/supreme-court-united-states">The Supreme Court of the United States</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/us-supreme-court">The U.S. Supreme Court</a></span></div></div><h3 >Appeals Court Said Public School Commencement Ceremonies Should Not Be Held In Religious&nbsp;Settings</h3>Mon, 16 Jun 2014 14:07:21 +0000Timothy Ritz10152 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/media/press-releases/supreme-court-right-to-skip-wisc-graduation-in-church-case-says-americans#commentsAU Tells Ohio Charter School Not To Hold Graduation In Controversial Church https://au.org/church-state/may-2014-church-state/people-events/au-tells-ohio-charter-school-not-to-hold-graduation
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Americans United has asked a publicly funded Ohio charter school not to hold its graduation ceremony in a church run by a fiercely anti-gay pastor.</p><p>Ohio Virtual Academy in Toledo plans to hold its graduation June 7 at World Harvest Church (WHC), even though the church displays a giant cross hanging from its ceiling and is staunchly against gay rights.</p><p>As the letter noted, WHC is run by the Rev. Rod Parsley. Parsley is an aspiring Religious Right leader who has made a number of homophobic statements in his writings and speeches, including repeating long-discredited, hateful notions about LGBT people.</p><p>In his 2005 book <em>Silent No More</em>, Parsley asserted that gays engage in activities such as “bestiality… orgies, large numbers of sexual partners, deliberate infection of others, cheating in marriage, obscene phone calls, criminality, shoplifting, and tax cheating.”</p><p>Americans United said that holding a school ceremony in such an environment “is, at best, unwelcoming and, at worst, traumatizing” for LGBT students. AU also noted that most of the schools’ future graduates would prefer the ceremony be held in a local secular venue.</p><p>Officials at the school have vowed not to change the venue. Kyle Wilkinson, the school’s principal, told the <em>Toledo Blade</em> that it is “common for public schools to use faith-based facilities for their graduations.”</p><p>In related news involving religion in public schools: </p><p><strong>• An elementary school student in Florida</strong> says she was told not to pray by staff at her school, but the school is denying that claim. Fox News contributor Todd Starnes reported that 5-year-old Gabriella Perez was allegedly told by her teacher that she could not pray over her lunch. As a result, Gabriella’s family wants to home-school her.</p><p>But officials at the school said there is no evidence such an incident occurred. Michael Lawrence, a communications officer for the Seminole County School District, told reporters: “The situation as stated by the parent has not occurred, according to the school’s investigation. If a student wishes to pray at lunch to herself we do not have a policy against that.”</p><p>In addition, school staff members said they had no recollection of interacting with the girl in the cafeteria that day, reported WKMG-TV in Orlando.</p><p>Starnes may have ignored such important details because Gabriella’s father, Marcos Perez, is the vice president of sales at Charisma House, which is contracted to publish Starnes’ next book, <em>God Less America</em>. </p><p><strong>• The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee</strong> is defending a student who said he was told not to read the Bible during an after-school program. The ACLU contacted Cannon County REACH, which runs the program, in response to a claim that a student was told he could read any book except the Bible. The student reported that when he refused to put his Bible away, it was taken from him.</p><p>Officials at the program say the matter is a misunderstanding.</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/school-prayer">School Prayer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools">Use of Religious Buildings by Schools</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-9891" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/may-2014-church-state">
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2014-church-state/people-events/texas-tv-mega-ministry-qualifies-as-a-church-under">Texas TV Mega-Ministry Qualifies As A Church Under IRS Regulations</a></span> </div></li>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/may-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/house-passes-exemptions-to-affordable-care-act">House Passes Exemptions To Affordable Care Act</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div>Thu, 01 May 2014 02:00:00 +0000Timothy Ritz9911 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/may-2014-church-state/people-events/au-tells-ohio-charter-school-not-to-hold-graduation#commentsFederal Judge Refuses To Block Prayers In S.C. School Graduation Casehttps://au.org/church-state/january-2014-church-state/people-events/federal-judge-refuses-to-block-prayers-in-sc
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>A federal judge won’t put an end to a South Carolina school district’s practice of allowing student-initiated prayers or holding official school events in churches.</p><p>Senior U.S. District Judge G. Ross An­derson Jr. said at a hearing in December that the American Humanist Association’s (AHA) complaint against the Greenville County school district made “a mountain out of a mole hill,” the Greenville <em>News</em> reported. He also said the AHA lacked proof to show that church-state separation was at risk of being violated by the district. Anderson went so far as to call the allegations in the case “disturbing” and to carp that he had never heard of the AHA.</p><p>The <em>American Humanist Association v. Greenville County School District </em>lawsuit was filed by two parents who didn’t want Mountain View Elementary’s fifth-grade graduation ceremony to be held in a chapel at North Greenville University, a local Christian college. According to court records, the chapel designated for the event contains a Christian cross on the podium and stained-glass windows with religious images. The official program for the May ceremony also lists two prayers to be recited. They were written by students and approved by school staff. </p><p>The couple who filed suit said that they don’t want to encounter “unconstitutional school-affiliated prayers” or be required to attend a graduation “in a sectarian venue,” the <em>News </em>said. The couple said if the ceremony is not changed, they will have the “sense that the school chooses to affiliate itself with Christianity, leaving us as outsiders in our own public schools.”</p><p>Although North Greenville was not a defendant in the lawsuit, it issued a statement suggesting that state lawmakers need to pass more laws to protect Christians.</p><p>“We at North Greenville University are very pleased with the judges’ decision and it is very appropriate for this situation,” university president Jimmy Epting said. “It allows our university to continue our efforts to meet the needs of our community and schools. We believe that it’s time that our legislators and others take a stand in South Carolina against those that are trying to take away our constitutional rights.”</p><p>In other news about religion in public schools:</p><p><strong>• A Mississippi school has agreed to stop hosting religious assemblies</strong>. Officials at Northwest Rankin High School in Rankin County admitted in November that its assemblies, which included a member of the Pinelake Baptist Church talking about finding “hope” in Jesus, violated the First Amendment. School administrators initially claimed these assemblies were student-led and organized, but speakers were caught on video leading the assembled crowd in Christian prayers.</p><p>The American Humanist Association challenged the practice.</p></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-department field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">People &amp; Events</div></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/school-prayer">School Prayer</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/religious-distributions-events-and-evangelism-during-school-day">Religious Distributions, Events and Evangelism during the School Day</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools">Use of Religious Buildings by Schools</a></span></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cs-issue field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Magazine Issue:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><article id="node-9383" class="node node-church-state-issue clearfix">
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<h2><a href="/church-state/january-2014-church-state">
The <span class="cs-month field">January</span> <span class="cs-year field"><span class="date-display-single">2014</span></span> issue of <em>Church &amp; State</em>
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<div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/church-state/january-2014-church-state/au-bulletin/national-center-for-science-education-has-new">National Center For Science Education Has New Leader</a></span> </div></li>
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</div></div></div>Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:00:00 +0000Timothy Ritz9401 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/church-state/january-2014-church-state/people-events/federal-judge-refuses-to-block-prayers-in-sc#commentsPoor Partnership: Federal Court Derails Tenn. County’s Relationship With Christian Academyhttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/poor-partnership-federal-court-derails-tenn-county-s-relationship-with
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">A partnership between a Tennessee public school and a Christian academy flunks a constitutional test. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>It’s a sad fact of life that some youngsters get into trouble in school. They might cut class, get involved with alcohol or drugs, start fights and so on. Sometimes public school officials find students like this too disruptive to keep in the classroom.</p><p>What should be done with such kids? If your response is, “Send them to a Christian academy at taxpayer expense,” that’s the wrong answer.</p><p>In Jefferson County, Tenn., local education officials decided to try that. A federal court has just <a href="http://religionclause.blogspot.com/2013/07/outsourcing-of-alternative-school-to.html">told them to stop</a>.</p><p>Jefferson County used to have an alternative school to serve troubled young people. But money got tight, and the county decided to shut it down. Officials then began contracting with Kingswood School, a private school in a nearby county, to take on the job.</p><p>Kingswood isn’t tied to any particular church or denomination, but its Christian mission is clear. The <a href="http://www.kingswood-school.com">school’s website</a> states that it “provides to displaced children a Christian home-like environment where every effort is made to develop in each child a personal faith in God, in himself, and in his fellowman.”</p><p>The school goes on to say that it focuses on “fostering personal and spiritual growth” and adds that each student “will have benefit of participation in a mainstream interdenominational church through the Kingswood Campus Minister at the A.E. Wachtel Chapel on the Kingswood campus…. No child placed in the care of Kingswood will ever be made to feel compelled to adopt the doctrine of a particular denomination or church. Within this context, each child will develope (sic) his or her own chosen church or denominational affiliation for worship.”</p><p>Kingswood vows that it will help a youngster grow “in his or her spiritual and religious life.”</p><p>Whatever led education officials in Jefferson County to believe that a school like this could operate as an adjunct to the public system? It clearly cannot, as U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Phillips wrote.</p><p>“The average student that attended Kingswood would arrive on campus and see a church within the grounds,” <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/152919964/Kucera-v-Jefferson-County-School-Bd">Phillips observed</a>. “She would then see an intake staff member who was also an ordained minister. After intake, the student would attend secular classes, but would take home report cards branded with Christian language and symbols. In order to progress though the level system, she would need to have her parents routinely sign and return Family Feedback Forms that also contained Bible verses. If she visited Kingswood’s website, she would be greeted by the phrases ‘Christian environment’ and ‘Christian education’ among others. Benefactors would receive fundraising correspondence that contained Christian references and iconography, and assemblies would be held in the campus church.”</p><p>Added Phillips, “[T]he facts plainly establish that Kingswood is a religious institution – a fine institution – but an institution that should have never sought to operate a public alternative school as part of its ministry. The appearance of governmental endorsement of the Christian faith is too pronounced and non-believers, or students of a different faith, would likely feel divorced from Kingswood, a well-intentioned, but overtly-Christian school.”</p><p>The judge is right. It looks like Kingswood does some good work with young people. But the school does it within the context of the Christian faith. That makes it an inappropriate partner for a public school system.</p><p>Rather than ship kids off to a Christian academy, perhaps educators in Jefferson County should reopen the alternative school or design a new program that serves all young people in need, no matter what they think about God and religion.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools">Use of Religious Buildings by Schools</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/other-issues-regarding-religion-schools-and-universities">Other Issues regarding Religion in Schools and Universities</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/jefferson-county">Jefferson County</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tennessee">Tennessee</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/kingswood-school">kingswood school</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/judge-thomas-w-phillips">Judge Thomas W. Phillips</a></span></div></div>Thu, 11 Jul 2013 16:53:09 +0000Rob Boston8752 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/poor-partnership-federal-court-derails-tenn-county-s-relationship-with#commentsImproper Influence: NYC Public Schools Bow To Church Rules On Sex Ed https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/improper-influence-nyc-public-schools-bow-to-church-rules-on-sex-ed
<a href="/about/people/rob-boston">Rob Boston</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Putting the dogma of a church ahead of the needs of public schools students is not being &#039;responsible.&#039; In fact, it’s an abrogation of responsibility.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>New York state law mandates that public school students receive sex education and instruction about HIV/AIDS. But some students in New York City can’t get that vital information in their classrooms and have to go elsewhere for it.</p><p>Why is this so? It turns out that in the Big Apple, some public schools are operating in buildings owned by the Catholic Church. And the church hierarchy won’t allow this instruction on site.</p><p>The New York <em>Daily News</em> <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/sex-ed-banned-catholic-church-owned-school-buildings-article-1.1309911">reported recently</a> that public school officials have been leasing space from the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn since 2005. The church has empty buildings that used to be parochial schools, and the city needs more space. This year, according to the <em>Daily News</em>, NYC’s Education Department will pay the church more than $27 million in rent.</p><p>In each case, the students attending the church-owned facilities must leave the buildings and travel somewhere else for sex education. Students at El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice, a public charter school in Brooklyn, must hoof it 15 minutes away to get this instruction. (And don’t even get me started on the <a href="http://schools.nyc.gov/schoolportals/14/k685/default.htm">giant cross</a> on the building.)</p><p>Not surprisingly, many of the students and their parents think this is a foolish arrangement.</p><p>Tayshawn Edmonds, a 15-year-old sophomore at El Puente, labeled the policy “crazy” and added, “The church owns the building, so they call the shots. But I don’t see why they get to control what we’re doing at our school.”</p><p>They get that control because education officials in New York City let them have it. Education Chancellor Dennis Walcott told the <em>Daily</em> <em>News, </em>“We have dozens and dozens of sites with the diocese and archdiocese, and that’s predicated on being responsible and following the tenets of the church.”</p><p>Putting the dogma of a church ahead of the needs of public schools students is not being “responsible.” In fact, it’s the opposite: an abrogation of responsibility.</p><p>And, as should be obvious, a public school system has no obligation to follow the tenets of any church. In fact, public schools aren’t allowed to do that.</p><p>I know that space is at a premium in New York City. These former parochial schools are empty, so it makes some sense to put them to use. But why did NYC’s education officials have to give away the store? I find it hard to believe that in New York – the tough town that never sleeps, a place where "if you can make it there you can make it anywhere" – no one in the city’s Education Department can negotiate.</p><p>The church hierarchy is getting more than $27 million a year in rent for these schools. That’s a nice chunk of change. My guess is that the bishops would like to keep that money. Perhaps someone in the city’s Education Department should tell church officials, “Look, we’re done letting you guys call the shots about what’s taught in our curriculum. If you want your check this year, drop the policy or we’re done here. Deal or no deal?”</p><p>What would happen? Maybe it’s time to find out.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools">Use of Religious Buildings by Schools</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/new-york-city">New York City</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/tayshawn-edmonds">Tayshawn Edmonds</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/el-puente-academy-for-peace-and-justice">El Puente Academy for Peace and Justice</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/dennis-walcott">Dennis Walcott</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/sex-education">sex education</a></span></div></div>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:05:07 +0000Rob Boston8277 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/improper-influence-nyc-public-schools-bow-to-church-rules-on-sex-ed#commentsJust Say No: Supreme Court Should Skip Elmbrook Church Graduation Casehttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/just-say-no-supreme-court-should-skip-elmbrook-church-graduation-case
<a href="/about/people/simon-brown">Simon Brown</a><div class="field field-name-field-blog-type field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/blogs/wall-of-separation">Wall of Separation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-callout field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Public schools should not hold graduations in religious environments. Doing so sends a message that non-believers should stay away. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="prose"><p>Five days before Christmas, the Religious Right delivered a most unwelcome gift to the U.S. Supreme Court – <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/elmbrook-church-graduation-case-could-go-to-supreme-court-ef84rqc-184568101.html">a petition asking the high court to hear a case</a> involving public school graduation ceremonies held in a church.</p><p>Back in 2009, Americans United <a href="https://www.au.org/church-state/september-2012-church-state/featured/caps-in-the-air">filed suit in federal court on behalf of nine students, graduates, and parents</a> who objected that the Elmbrook School District near Milwaukee, Wisc., used Elmbrook Church to host high school graduation ceremonies.</p><p>Americans United explained that holding graduations in the religious environment of the church violates the Constitution. The mega-church outside Milwaukee failed to remove religious symbols and texts during the graduation ceremonies. In fact, students and parents sat in pews with Bibles and hymnal books directly in front of them, and also saw church promotional materials telling children that they were “God’s Little Lambs” and inviting all attendees to return to the church so that they can “know how to become a Christian.”</p><p>Elmbrook Church even displayed a large cross, which church officials refused to cover, in the sanctuary where graduation ceremonies were held.</p><p>The mega-church also attacks the beliefs and identities of some of the students and parents who had to go to the church to attend their graduations. The church condemns atheists as people “who think they are smarter than God.” It refers to homosexuality as “not an acceptable lifestyle” and “contrary to God’s will.”</p><p>Americans United noted that there are many non-religious facilities available for the graduation ceremonies, and other school districts in the area make use of them.</p><p>A federal court ruled against AU, and a three-judge appeals court did as well. But AU attorneys pursued another appeal, and a 10-judge panel from the 7<sup>th</sup> U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overruled the earlier decisions, voting 7-3 in favor of Americans United this year.</p><p>Writing for the majority, Judge Joel M. Flaum said holding a public school commencement in the Elmbrook Church sanctuary conveyed “an impermissible message of endorsement” of religion and was “religiously coercive.”</p><p>Flaum added that “conducting a public school graduation ceremony in a church — one that among other things featured staffed information booths laden with religious literature and banners with appeals for children to join ‘school ministries’ — runs afoul of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.”</p><p>But did that home run of a decision persuade the Religious Right to give up? Sadly no. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Religious Right-allied legal outfit based in Washington, D.C., has asked the Supreme Court to take up this case. </p><p>“Religion is not asbestos, and the Constitution does not require the government to treat churches as contaminated buildings that are uniquely unfit for public events,” Luke Goodrich, deputy general counsel for the Becket Fund, told the <em>Milwaukee</em> <em>Journal Sentinel</em>.</p><p>No one is suggesting that religion is asbestos, but that doesn’t mean public schools should hold graduations in religious environments. Doing so sends a message that non-believers should stay away. </p><p>“Public schools serve an incredibly diverse population,” AU Executive Director Barry W. Lynn said in September. “It is vitally important for our schools to make all students feel welcome, regardless of their views about religion.”</p><p>The U.S. Supreme Court has a lot of serious issues to weigh in on these days from healthcare mandates to same-sex marriage. The Elmbrook case has been decided correctly by a lower court, and further consideration of the matter would be a waste of the high court’s valuable time. </p><p>As the <em>Journal Sentinel </em>noted, the U.S. Supreme Court accepts less than two percent of the thousands of petitions it receives annually. Let’s hope the Elmbrook case is among the 98 percent.</p></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Issues:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/issues/use-religious-buildings-schools">Use of Religious Buildings by Schools</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/becket-fund-for-religious-liberty">Becket Fund for Religious Liberty</a></span>, <span class="field-item"><a href="/tags/elmbrook-school-district">Elmbrook School District</a></span></div></div><div class="tags clearfix"><div class="field-label">Location:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><span class="field-item"><a href="/our-work/grassroots/wisconsin">Wisconsin</a></span></div></div>Wed, 26 Dec 2012 19:42:06 +0000Simon Brown7859 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/just-say-no-supreme-court-should-skip-elmbrook-church-graduation-case#commentsEnfield School Board OKs Settlement In Lawsuit Over Graduations Held At First Cathedralhttps://au.org/media/in-the-news/enfield-school-board-oks-settlement-in-lawsuit-over-graduations-held-at-first
<div class="field field-name-field-news-source field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Hartford Courant</div></div></div>Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:23:41 +0000Joseph L. Conn7324 at https://au.orghttps://au.org/media/in-the-news/enfield-school-board-oks-settlement-in-lawsuit-over-graduations-held-at-first#comments